Global News and Information Flow in the Internet AgeLearning unit 5 SESSION 19-24

Module outcome covered

MO2 Evaluate the role and impact of media and new

communication technology in a globalised world. MO4 Differentiate between media communication practices

in South Africa and abroad. MO5 Analyse the impact of global communication on

various socio-economic and technological environments

Learning Content:

The major international news agencies. Broadcast news services. Global newspapers, magazines and broadcasters. World news flow and its impact on developing

countries.

Learning Objectives:

Name and briefly discuss the four major Western international news agencies in terms of their history and current state.

Identify and describe two major South African news agencies.

Develop a foundational knowledge of influential global newspapers, magazines and broadcasters.

Analyse the concerns of developing countries over the major Western news agencies control of the world’s news flow.

Understand the challenges involved in developing a credible international news agency.

Discuss the role of news flow on the Internet in nondemocratic states.

Material to be used :

Prescribed text pp.105-129. Additional notes are given in the Introduction

to this Learning Unit to supplement the prescribed textbook.

Pay specific attention to the additional information on South African news agencies.

Pages to focus on: pp.107-115, 118-121, and 123-127

How to prepare for this Learning Unit:

Before the first class, be sure that you read Sections 1-4 of this Learning Unit, and pp.105-129 in the textbook.

As you read these sections, see if you can find the answers to the following questions:

How has the Internet revolutionised the world? What is the role of international news agencies? How will the Internet and information flow change

communication for developing countries?

Recommended Additional Reading

. Berger, G. 2009. How the Internet impacts on international news. International Communication Gazette 71(5):355-371.

Green, L. 2002. Communication, technology and society. London, Sage.

Independent online. [online]. Available: http://www.iol.co.za/about-iol-1.458

News24.com. [online]. Available: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica

South African Press Association. [online]. Available: http://www.sapa.co.za/

HOMEWORK

Choose a current newsworthy topic and then go online and look for how various news agencies report on the same topic. Which do you prefer and why? Why do you think there are differences in the way news is presented online? Are there any similarities?

Due Date 5 March 2014

Introduction

The flow of information can be seen as one of the most vital processes associated with globalisation and global communication

.Focus on the international flow of news and the direction of this information flow.

The world receives the majority of its information from developed countries, specifically the United States of America – what problem or concern, if any, do you think this might pose to the rest of the world?

The role of global news agencies from a historical as well as current perspective is then investigated.

National news agencies for you to become familiar with.

Broadcasters:

CNN International, BBC News, BBC World, BBC America, Al Jazeera, Voice of America.

News agencies:

Agence France-Presse; Associated Press; Reuters; United Press

International; South African Press

Agency; Independent Online; News24.com.

Magazines:

Time, Newsweek, The Economist

(Britain).

Newspapers:

The New York Times, The Times (London), The Guardian (Britain), The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times

(London).

You should try and read or watch at least one article/story covered by all these news media as well as become familiar with your own local news vehicles.

Conclusion: commentary on the concerns and issues raised largely by developing countries in terms of the one-sided approach to the global flow of news and information.

Concern that the information dissemination is one-way and that the people of these developing nations will be influenced by the culture and identity of the developed nations.

Global News and Information Flow in the Internet Age December 2004 internet users world-wide had a

grown to nearly 700 million from around 360 million in 2000.

The internet is universally characterised as a revolutionary medium because it has opened up an altogether new world of information and communication.

Speed means of communication for personal and professional reasons, thus multimedia, interactive medium: news, information and entertainment.

This need based information consumption pattern

Consumer is the receiving end of news and information selected and purveyed by traditional media gatekeepers.

Internet reach 12.7 percent of the world population was using the internet by September 2004.

Internet World stats 1,5 billion people out of the estimated 6.8 billion people on the planet in 2010

NEWS AGENCIES

Because new agencies must please all news editors, everywhere, they must work harder than their client journalists to create the appearance of objectivity and neutrality.

In so doing, they manufacture a bland and homogeneous, but still ideologically distinctive, view of the world; stories challenging the ideological positions of the dominant political players on the world scene

Traditional media will remain the primarily source of news and information for those of world’s population who lack access to the internet.

Traditional news operations of international directions in packaging of news for online consumers

Issues of quality and quantity in the flow of news between the developed.

ORIGNS AND EARLY HISTORY OF NEWS AGENCIES Three of the major Western news agencies Associated Press [AP],Reuters , and Agency France

France Presse [AFP] Penny press ,had emerged as advertising became a

significant source of revenue in industrially expanding societies rising literacy and economic levels.

Mass market for news in the emergency of democratic market society .

Americans were interested in business and politics than ever before.

Growth of capitalistic middle class

Mass democracy French saw their versions of so called cheap press in

1836 Britain selling their products to many

newspapers ,news agencies could supply a large amount of newspapers at less expense than a newspaper

Greater financial resources than the average newspaper to invest in technical facilities

Transmit news as quickly as possible

Name and briefly discuss the four major Western international news agencies in terms of their history and current state.

AFP HISTORY

[AFP] was created by Frenchman Charles Louis Havas in 1835.

Havas Agency at a time, Paris based news distribution service used merchants and government officials

Havas had started 10 years earlier. Demand for news substantially up because of

emergency of the cheap press in France Expanded his operations by hiring more

correspondents using the newly invented telegraphy for faster delivery of news.

1860 his reporting news from all over Europe, newspapers in most parts of continent were subscribing to his agency.

French government purchased the the agency’s 1940 to propaganda office .

Germans took official Nazi news agency 1944 given its present name,Agence Presse. In 1957 ,the French AFP

AP -HISTORY

[AP] grew out of the harbour News Association formed by 10 men representing six New York City newspapers in 1848 .

Collecting international news and offset the prohibitive cost of transmitting news by telegraphy .

The newspapers at that time completed by sending reporters out in rowboats to meet the ships as they arrived in New York harbour

Competition had

Expensive that it has decided to form a news cooperative

Cooperation among newspapers continue to be the operational policy of today’s AP.

1849 the harbour News Association opened its overseas first bureau

Halifax,Nova Scotia arrived from Europe Telegraphs stories to the newspaper before ships

docked in New York Euroepe was arriving directly by transoceanic cable

Merger Harbour News Association New York Associated Press in 1857 To cut telegraphic cost New York AP formed news exchange agreements with

regional newspaper groups Other parts of the country, including Western

Associated Press, Southern Associated Press and Philadelphia Associated Press.

The New York AP distributed the most important news to them, including news from Washington DC and d overseas.

Western Associated Press withdrew the cooperative in 1885 andwent on to form the (AP)

Illusions ,in 1892 .the New York AP went out of business that year.

AP expanded rapidly with 700 newspapers by mid 1890.

1900 the AP was reooganised. 1945 New York court held illegal a clause in AP bylaws

under which members could block the member of the competitor in the same city to obtain AP news service by requiring election to membership.

AP membership was opened to all qualified U.S newspapers

In 1946, radio stations, for the first time, were granted associate membership in AP

Allowed them to subscribe to its regular service.

AP NOW

Third largest global wire service after AP and Reuters Provides variety of services for traditional media,

general economic, sports news in English, French Germany ,Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic

Developed online services HQ in Paris Delivers about 2 million words a day

General news -4 to 6 thousand words a day on politics, diplomacy, economic, society, sports, science, medicine, culture people and human interest

AFP sport services provide ten thousand words a day Subscribers include traditional media business,

universities embassies institutions and public offices. 1995 AFP ended agreement with AP on its provision of

American news and set up their own network in US

It has developed a niche amongst news agencies for photos because of their unique angles

Their archives has more than 7 million photos dating from 1930

Digital photos are supplemented with about 80 maps, charts and other graphics

Subscribers include 650 newspapers,400 radio and Tv stations, 1500 business and banks, about 100 news agencies

Employees about 1200 reporters,200 photographers,2000 stringers in 165 countries

Suppliers radio features ,reports, computer graphic and multi media services intranet and Internet

AFX News subsidiary of AFP economic wire with HQ in London

Focusing on Europe coverage in real time business and financial services to meet requirements of international banking and investor community in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Danish

Strong focus is on equities and economic commentary AFX News products are available on Internet satellite

and terrestrial links

Agreement in 2000 with France’s Alcatel telecommunications and Finland’s Nokia to distribute information over fixed telephone lines and mobile internet services.

The service to enable telecommunications carriers to provide their users with access to personalised information anytime anywhere on any device

Access to personalisation and filtering tools that focus on individual profile and interests

Service is available in English, German, Spanish, French Portuguese and Arabic

REUTERS

Paul Julius Reuter, a Germany immigrant who took British citizenship in March 1957 opened a London office.

Transmitted stork market quotation between London and Paris using the first undersea cable

Using pigeon to fly stock prices between Aachen and Brussels.

Entire British press as well as to other Europeans countries

Include European general and economic news

Battles lost and won of political crisis Bad weather could affect market and that news of

market crisis often had political effects. Branch offices sprang Europe and beyond as

international telegraphy network developed 1861 Reuter reporters were allocated in Asia,South

Africa and Australia By 1874 far east and South America

1915 ,the agency became a private company later that

Press Association ,the UK 1925 ,1939 street in London ,In 1941 ,following

aquisation of substantial amount of British press association.

Coop[erative pof substantial amount of British press association.

Cooperative property of British press Routers trust was neutrality and independency of

Reuters Public company in 1984 on the London stock

exchange share ownership Significant holdings in Britain and United States .

UPI

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL The United Press International (UPI) was established

on July 21 ,1907 Founder ,E W .Scripps Believed there should be no restriction on who could

buy news from a news service Opposed to the restrictive membership rules of the AP In 1906,he purchased the control of the publishers

Press ,small news service in the East

Merged the three services following year to form the United Press Associations

United Press international on May 16 ,1958 joined with those of William Randolph Hearst’s international News service and international the world News photos

Instrumental in freeing up news collection and dissemination worldwide by rejecting a cartel arrangement established by the other major Western news agencies in 1869

AP, Reuters,AFP and the Germany news agency Wolff had agreed to collect and distribute news exclusively in certain regions of the world and exchange it amongst themselves for subsequent distribution amost subscribers.

UPI challenged that cartel in 1907 by selling its services abroad first to Briatin, Japan and South America, AP joined and signed agreements with Havas in 1918 and Reuters in 1926 to sell services in their exclusive zones

UPI become the worlds largest private owned news agency but failed to keep up with competing services AND WENT THROUGH BANKRUPTY TWICE

UPI was sold in May 2000 to News World Communication which was funded by Sun Myung Moon of South Korea

News World Communication which publishes the Washington Times, other newspapers and magazines in more than 20 countries

The unification Church lead by Rev Sun Myung Moon has no ties with the company According to CEO.

Identify and describe two major South African news agencies.

Refer to additional information on your manual and research on the internet

Group Presentation

South African Press Agency; Independent Online; News24.com.

Class Discussions

Develop a foundational knowledge of influential global newspapers, magazines and broadcasters.

Newspapers

Role of purveyors of news globally The New York Times- America, The Times of London

and the Guardian (Britain) are read by more than 30 percent of the world population

The London times is a tabloid Valued by opinion leaders and have high circulation

figures Printed via satellite and available on internet as well

and distributed internationally.

The Wall Street Journal flagship of Dow Jones and Company, the Wall Street Journal Europe published in Brussels, Asian Wall Street Journal (Hong Kong)

The Financial Times London also published in North america

Magazines

Time ed for Canada, Europe, Middle East,Asia and Africa and Latin America circulation in 2005 was 4,2 million in USA

Newsweek circulation in 2005 was 3,1 million ed in Europe Japan, Lation America, Pacific and South Asia

Economist circulation in 2005 was over a million in USA but was the fasted growing magazine around the world.

TELEVISION

CNNI Global 24 hour network with comprehensive coverage More than 37 bureaus worldwide Programmed for global audience 5 separate broadcast feed to Europe/ Middle East/

Africa, South Asia, Asia Pacific, Latin America and North America

Seen in more than 176 million TV households in more than 200 countries

CNN /US More than 86 million subscribers in US News gathering network of 4000 staff 900

global TV affiliations

BBC World 1991 biggest competitor of CNN international Broadcast 24 hours a day from HQ in London Global 24 hour network with comprehensive coverage More than 58 bureaus worldwide 250 correspondents and 2000 staff Programmed for global audience Seen in more than 258 million TV households in more

than 200 countries and territories Funded by advertising and subscriptions Dedicated programming to audience Europe, Indiaand

Japanese translation

BBC America

Specific channel for US Seen in more than 35 million TV households in more

than 200 countries Primary focus is UK arts entertainment, half an hour

newsbulletins Agreements with US public television

Al Jazera

1996 based in Qatar Fastest growing news network amongst Arab

communities and the rest of the world More than 50 million in 2004 Critised for candid and aggressive coverage Helped improve credibility with audience who been

exposed to censorship Arabic perspectives and questioning the international

perspectives

Radio

Viewed as propaganda as its run by government run station

BBC world Service and Voice of America viewed as reliable and credible sources to listeners worldwide

BBC world service 1932 use 42 languages and English 146 million audience in 2004, 4,7 regular I America

Voice of America 1942 use 43 languages and English through satellite and

internet 100 million audience in 2004 More than 30 correspondents,22 news bureaus in US

hundreds of stringers

Broadcasting & Technology

Satellite technology brought additional sources of TV are now available for international audience in various languages

Refer to handout

Analyse the concerns of developing countries over the major Western news agencies control of the world’s news flow.

the major part of their news package is about events in the industrialised countries. News from the West is a trickle of information from the Third World which barely manages to reach the doors of the readers in New York, London or Paris. The exchange of news between the West and Asia is

typical of the imbalance. AP sends out from New York to Asia an average of

90,000 words daily. In return AP takes in 19,000 words either from its correspondents or from the national news agencies of Asia. Reuters and UPI also send out four or five times more than they take from that continent.

Tailoring news to meet Western self interest often means cultivating the idea of a threat from without.

Superior technology and professional expertise have enabled Western news agencies and journalists to provide information efficiently.

politicians of the developing countries also allege that there is a Western bias to the news that is printed about their countries

. People from the Third World seem to make news in Europe and the USA only when they die of starvation or kill each other. Riots, gory deaths

the language used in reports is heavily loaded in favour of the Western establishment. Guerillas fighting racist regimes in Africa or military dictatorships in Latin America are described as 'terrorists'.

CLASS DISCUSSION

Understand the challenges involved in developing a credible international news agency.

Discuss the role of news flow on the Internet in nondemocratic states.